Nandini says she's no pushover in Bangalore Central

Hours after accepting the JD(S) membership and candidature, danseuse and wife of late minister Jeevaraj Alva, Nandini Alva said that she is ready make a fight out of the contest from the Bangalore Central constituency. 

Up against  BJP candidate P C Mohan and Congress nominee Rizwan Arshad, the JD(S) nominee faces a daunting task ahead.

Trying to project herself as a strong independent woman, she said that she was entering politics to fulfil her husband’s aspirations. Alva hopes that a considerable chunk of voters in the constituency would vote for her.

“Jeevaraj was a great dreamer. He had a lot of dreams for Bangalore. I am entering politics to ensure that the dreams become a reality,” she claimed. All these years and even when Alva was minister, she was into politics. Alva is a familiar face for Bangaloreans as she was actively involved in organising cultural programmes, including Bengaluru Habba. 

Admitting that she was a second string choice for the JD(S), after the disgruntled Congressman H T Sangliana refrained from joining the party, Alva is nonetheless thankful to the party for giving her the ticket. She said that her decision to join the JD(S) was primarily due to her family’s ties with the Janata Parivar. Her husband was associated with the party for a long time.

She said that the voters of Bangalore Central, which is primarily minority-dominated, will not cast their votes on the basis of religion. She is hopeful that her ‘no nonsense,’ anti-corruption approach will help her garner support. Alva is also banking on her late husband’s followers to extend support to her.

Alva said that her decision to return to politics, after being away from it for over a decade and a half, was based on the fact that she had fulfilled her ‘worldly duties’. “I have achieved what I wanted to, as a successful businesswoman, a mother and daughter-in-law. I am here to stay in politics now,” she said.

Alva is scheduled to file her nominations on Wednesday. Her son Aditya Alva and relatives are going to campaign for her.